Breadcrumb

A Passing Face

The Elegance of Struggle

Thirty-year-old Krishna Devi from Manupra village in Rajasthan has been weaving carpets for more than half her life. Married at 14, a mother of four and the only stable breadwinner of her family, she earns around Rs 200 a day. Her husband is a daily labourer who usually tends to his goats as a means of subsistence. In the glitter of India Design, Devi is simply a choreographed plot, complete with the ubiquitous charkha and other tools of her trade. Unfortunately, here she is a token of traditional exotica, which belies the harsh reality that the marginalised craft community continues to struggle against.

She could change expressions as quickly as clouds pass over the sun. In moments, it could change from sad, happy, adoring or scared to surprise. Her huge eyes with long lashes seem too exaggerated to be real, and when she rolls them in silliness, winks in naughtiness or fills them with tears, they are unmissable. She wrinkles her nose and pouts, bites her lip and smiles